Cricket is the closest thing to baseball the English have and the Oval is one of the old traditional grounds.
It's easily accessible to the Northern line tube station (Oval) and a lot of the South London bus lines (185/36). On a game night I found that parking in the area wasn't too bad, either.
It's been modernised on the outside but the inside is pretty utilitarian. They have tried to brighten it up with outside type concession stands on mobile trailers but the main, inbuilt stands serve some really basic crap that would be outlawed in most countries. (Only place with worse food were the rugby stadiums in South Africa, but I digress.)
The beer supply is plentiful and unlike the US, they don't limit the number of beers you buy. I guess the cops need entertainment, too.
The beauty of cricket in the UK is that nowhere is really far from the wickets. So what they do is set up pavilions for members, so that there is a little separation from the masses.
For a 20/20 game they have now got cheerleaders and fireworks going to get it festive. People were more out to have a good night out then actually watch the cricket, sort of like being at a Dodgers game. A popular trick was buiding beer towers with cups, which security would then try to confiscate.
An overall pleasant crowd, with a nice vibe, made this a pleasant way to spend a Friday evening. read more